nd
wrote books about it," agreed Aldred.

"It sounds so thrilling when you read it," continued Myfanwy; "but when
you're cold and wet and hungry, it takes the romance away."

"I wish we hadn't eaten all our sweets," lamented Phoebe; "I'm simply
starving!"

It had grown rapidly dusk; there was not even light enough to see their
watches, but they calculated that the time must be about half-past six.
They were not sure when the tide would be at the full, nor how soon it
would go down again sufficiently to enable them to cross on to the
mainland.

"We certainly can't stumble over these rocks in the dark," said Aldred.
"Unless there's a moon, we're fixed here until morning."

"I can't remember whether there's a moon or not," sighed Dora. "The sun
doesn't rise particularly early either--not until about six, I believe."

"What will they be thinking at the Grange?" said Myfanwy, whose tears
were beginning to wander slowly down her cheeks at the misery of the
prospect in store.

As to that, no one liked to hazard a guess. In all the annals of the
school it had never been recorded that any girls had been lost before;
and they knew that Miss Drummond must be in a fever of anxiety on their
account. The rain kept on steadily, and the time passed by slowly--very
slowly; the long hours seemed interminable. It was most forlorn and
wretched to sit crouched under the rock, with the dripping rain beating
in upon their wet clothes, listening to the sound of the water dashing
below them.

[Illustration: FOUR UNHAPPY TRUANTS]

"It's like a horrible nightmare," said Phoebe. "I wish I could wake
up, and find myself in my own bed in No. 5!"

"It's so much worse now it's dark," groaned Aldred.

She was in a very dejected frame of mind, and would have burst out
sobbing like a baby if she had not been too proud. Her friends were also
in low spirits, and did not keep up their usual flow of jokes and
chatter. All four snuggled as close together as they could, to keep one
another warm, and sat silent, listening to the waves and the rain, till
kind Mother Nature sent merciful sleep, and for a while at least they
were able to forget their troubles.

Aldred had a long and confusing dream. She thought that she saw Mabel in
danger of drowning, and that she plunged boldly into the sea, swam
easily to her aid, and brought her back to shore amid the cheers of the
school; and that Mabel was saying: "I knew you would come to the rescue.
It's no